Dennis Halstead clowns at Dodge Badlands Circuit Finals

MINOT, ND – Rodeo attendees at the Dodge Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo will get an international treat.

Canadian pro rodeo clown Dennis Halstead will be in Minot, ND Oct. 7-10 with his brand of laughs and comedy for the annual Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo.

Halstead, from Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, has been selected to work the Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo at the State Fair Center. The rodeo is the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association’s regional championship for North and South Dakota.

Halstead, 50, travels the North American continent making people laugh at pro rodeos in Canada and the U.S. He has excelled at his rodeo career, being selected three times as the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association’s (CPRA) Clown of the Year. He has also been chosen to work the Calgary Stampede seven times.

The clown has a double career. In addition to his work in the arena, he has been a firefighter for 29 years at the busiest fire hall in Calgary. He got his start in rodeo through the fire hall’s annual charity rodeo for children. A dozen years ago, the rodeo clown backed out at the last minute. So Halstead stepped in, and that’s how he added his second job.

He finds joy in making kids laugh. “The biggest reward for the job is putting a smile on a kid’s face,” he said. The stress of being a full time firefighter is diminished with clowning. “When you’ve seen what I’ve seen as a firefighter and pulled kids out of fires, that picture is in your head for the rest of your life.” Making kids laugh helps reduce the stress. “It’s how you deal with it,” he said. “A lot of guys don’t know how to deal with it. For me, rodeo is my outlet for dealing with the bad (mental) pictures.”

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Halstead also believes in returning his good fortune to others. “I’m very lucky to have what I have. I enjoy giving back, and kids are the love of my life.” Halstead will also make several school presentations while he is in Minot.

The rodeo clown works off the cuff. “I have a million jokes in my head,” he said. “I’m an ad libber.” Even he isn’t sure what acts he’ll perform while in Minot. “I like people to see a different act” each night of the rodeo. One of his acts is a flying “dragster bathtub” that he may use in Minot.

Fans can laugh with Halstead and his brand of comedy at the 56th annual Minot Y’s Men’s Rodeo. Tickets are available online at http://www.minotysmensrodeo.com or by calling 701-852-5577. Tickets are also available in Minot at the Dakota Square Mall ticket booth beginning Sept. 25. For more information, visit http://www.MinotYsMensRodeo.com or call 701-852-5577. Touchstone Energy and Four Bears Casino are proud sponsors of the rodeo.